1. METS: Have slugged their way to the
top of NL East; can it continue? Last week (11)
2. INDIANS: Even without C.C Sabathia,
Tribe looking good early. (3)
3. WHITE SOX: Sweep of Tigers got South
Siders back on track. (5)
4. RED SOX: Big Papi signs big contract
extension, Sox stay on early roll. (2)
5. CARDINALS: Isringhausen must find his
cutter or St. Louis is in trouble. (1)
6. BREWERS: Maybe it's an early season
fluke, but with Sheets' return they might be for
real. (7)
7. ATHLETICS: Not a great start for Frank
Thomas, but the Big Hurt is beginning to heat up.
(4)
8. ASTROS: Seriously, Roy Oswalt (2-0,
1.99 ERA) is going to win the NL Cy Young Award.
(12)
9. TWINS: Justin Morneau and Rondell
White need to get it going at the plate. (10)
10. ANGELS: Lack of power catching up with
last season's AL West champ. (9)
11. ROCKIES: They won't stay long, so they
should enjoy life at the top while they can. (26)
12. BLUE JAYS: Not good when Halladay has
to miss a start, especially with Burnett just back.
(14)
13. CUBS: Greg Maddux (2-0, 1.46 ERA) look
like he's back in Cy Young form. (23)
14. BRAVES: Smoltz and Hudson better get it
together soon. (6)
15. YANKEES: Lack of pitching
depth starting to show. (13)
16. GIANTS: Bonds chases Ruth; grand jury
chases Bonds. (15)
17. TIGERS: Ran into White Sox buzz saw to
bring Jim Leyland's success to a crashing halt. (8)
18. REDS: OK, forget Oswalt; Arroyo (2-0
1.98, two HRs) wins Cy Young, Silver Slugger. (21)
19. ORIOLES: Closer Chris Ray makes
Baltimore forget B.J. Ryan. (17)
20. MARINERS: What on earth has happened to
Adrian Beltre (no HRs, no RBIs, .119)? (16)
21. DODGERS: Brad Penny (2-0, 1.50 ERA, 14
Ks, one walk) is off to a rousing start. (19)
22. PADRES: RHP Dewon Brazelton's two-game
ERA: 24.16. (18)
23. DIAMONDBACKS: Might be in first place
if they could retire Colorado's Brad Hawpe. Who?
Exactly. (22)
24. PHILLIES: One HR in two weeks for Ryan
Howard is a little perplexing. (28)
25. RANGERS: Can't afford to fall too far
behind AL West leaders. (20)
26. DEVIL RAYS: Danys Baez has three saves
and a 0.00 ERA for the Dodgers. (25)
27. PIRATES: Tough break for Sean Casey,
truly one of the games classiest guys. (30)
28. ROYALS: Their version of the Hit Show
not working out so far. (27)
29. MARLINS: Not much deep-sea fishing in
San Antonio, so how about... the Scorpions? (29)
30. NATIONALS: First in war, first in
peace, last in the NL East. (24)
FANTASY CORNER
DAVID WRIGHT, Mets: The team's young star
is off to an MVP type start. Through the first 10
games, Wright is hitting .421 with 3 HRs and 13
RBIs. Wright is slugging a whopping .816.
BRANDON BACKE, Astros: The Houston starter
could be out for a while after developing an elbow
strain during a start Thursday against the Giants.
Rookie Franklin Nieve is expected to get Backe's
starts.
BRAD HAWPE, Rockies: He hit nine homers in
101 games last season. Through 10 games this year,
he had four, along with 13 RBIs and a .385 batting
average (mostly against the D'backs). Make sure you
have him when Colorado faces Arizona again in July.
AL Extra Bases
Indians
closer Bob Wickman entered the
weekend needing two saves to tie franchise leader
Doug Jones (129). ... Cleveland DH
Travis Hafner became the first
Indian to have a candy bar named after him since
Albert Belle. The candy bar is
called Pronk Bar, in honor of Hafner's nickname. ...
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen and
Tigers OF Magglio Ordonez cleared
the air Thursday and apparently are once again on
cordial terms. ... Promising Rangers rookie 2B
Ian Kinsler (.476 batting average
in his first eight games) will miss at least a month
with a dislocated left thumb suffered Tuesday as he
tried to steal a base against the Angels.
NL Extra Bases
Padres
RHP Dewon Brazelton remained
wineless in 31 road starts after he was rocked by
the Marlins in South Florida on Thursday. The
former Devil Rays Opening Day starter is 016
lifetime on the road. ... Padres reliever
Doug Brocail, 38, underwent his second
angioplasty in a month on Monday. He has been
scheduled to return in late April or early May from
the March 11 surgery that removed a 99 percent
blockage in his left anterior descending artery. He
still intends to pitch again, but the timetable is
uncertain. ... Dodgers SS Cesar Izturis
(Tommy John surgery in September) is on pace to
return in late May, The question is, where will the
All-Star play with former Brave Rafael
Furcal now at short and Jeff Kent
at second?
... Of
the 25 players on Florida's roster for the home
opener Tuesday at Dolphin Stadium, 11 had never set
foot on the stadium's turf (including six in the
starting lineup). ... After signing his new
five-year, $65 million contract with the Cubs, 1B
Derrek Lee began to campaign for an
extension for Manager Dusty Baker.
Baker is in the final year of a four-year deal
Rumors have Baker headed back to the West Coast
after this season taking over once again in San
Francisco or Arizona.
